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Monday, May 23, 2011

Iran's Hidden Agenda In The GCC

Abdulla Rasheed writes: One of Khomeini's main objectives was to export the ‘revolution' to the rest of the Arabian Gulf This commentary was published in The Gulf News on 23/05/2011

When the September 11 attacks occurred, many people thanked God that this heinous crime took place that year. The reason for this, simply put, was that Al Qaida's terrorist plans had been exposed, and future plans to harm innocent people were quickly uncovered and thwarted. The efforts that had been channelled into undermining Al Qaida culminated in Osama Bin Laden's killing by US Special Forces. Those people who thanked God would reason that had the attack been delayed by a few years, Al Qaida most probably would have utilised the time to regroup, gain momentum and support and, most dangerously still, could have acquired access to and knowledge of chemical and nuclear weapons.

Catastrophe recently also struck close to home, in Bahrain. During this uprising, hundreds of people of various age groups who had been trained by Hezbollah of Lebanon, took to the streets of Manama spreading terror, death and destruction along their way. We are thankful to God that these actions took place now, and not years later, so that we uncover all the destabilisation plans that Iran had been cultivating for years through Hassan Nasrallah and his group to undermine the security of Bahrain and to turn it into an Islamic republic, replicating the Iranian experience. Worse yet, we are thankful that now plans are being uncovered which include portions of the eastern region of Saudi Arabia, and all the way north to Kuwait to spread the seeds of the Iranian revolution. We are thankful that these destabilisation plans have been unearthed, and everyone is fully aware of them and their consequences.

The danger of sectarianism in the Gulf has always been present and felt in this region. The plans had existed since 1979, when Ayatollah Khomeini succeeded in toppling the Shah's regime in Iran. One of Khomeini's main objectives was to export this ‘revolution' to the rest of the Arabian Gulf nations. The execution of his plan had been delayed for many reasons. But the case will never be closed at all. Initial interrogations with the rioters in Bahrain, the uncovering of eight spy networks in Kuwait, and the stance that some Kuwaiti Shiite leaders took with respect to the events in Bahrain collectively point to and reveal the hidden agenda and aspirations of the Iranian government towards the nations of the Arabian Gulf. Those who had supposedly started out supporting peaceful demonstrators ended up declaring the birth of the Islamic republic of Bahrain, hoping to, in the near future, include the Saudi Arabia's Eastern Region and Kuwait. The plans to forcefully introduce the ideas of the current Iranian government to the Gulf region had been continuously communicated through some media outlets. They intentionally promoted racist ideas. We demand an answer from the leaders of the Iranian regime, and Nasrallah who cursed the GCC leaders. Would they curse the GCC leaders — in some cases using street language — had it been another sect or religious community in Bahrain, such as Sunni Muslims, Christians or even Jews? Would Nasrallah and Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticise GCC leaders had those who protested at the Pearl Roundabout in Manama not been Shiites?

Racist overtones

If the answer is yes, then both Nasrallah and Ahmadinejad would be liars. Both never said a sympathetic word about the uprising that has been going on for more than two months in Syria. Atrocities are being committed against unarmed civilians but Iran and Hezbollah are silent. Both considered the Syrian uprising as ‘sectarian violence', and Nasrallah even went as far as to accuse the Lebanese Al Mustaqbal Party of both supporting and instigating the events in Syria.

But, if the answer is no, then the rhetoric from both leaders has racist overtones. This ugly racism had been planted since the Iran's Islamic revolution and undoubtedly flourished in the minds of the leaders of Tehran and Hezbollah.

The entire world watched an example of this ugly racism. Hussain Mushaima, who had been sentenced to death in Bahrain and recently been pardoned by the king, used similar street language to curse the king and the ruling Bahraini ruling family. Mushaima was demanding the toppling of the Bahraini political system as he stepped foot at Manama airport, returning from exile in London. He had first visited his masters in Lebanon and Iran. This person went on to gather a crowd of hoodlums calling for Iran to intervene militarily in Bahrain, demanding the formation of the Islamic Republic of Bahrain. This republic, had it been formed, would have been under the control of Nasrallah and Ahmadinejad and run by Mushaima, and Abdul Wahab Hussain, and the so called Bahraini Hezbollah!

What is currently happening in the Gulf region is more than a conspiracy. What we are going through is a vicious war started by the Iranians after they had recruited loyal followers in the GCC region. These followers promote Hezbollah's and Iran's agenda through satellite channels like Al Anwar, and papers such as Al Dar in Kuwait. Indeed we thank God that they made their moves now, and that their nefarious designs were thwarted before becoming a reality. We ask Allah to protect the entire region from the ugly, dirty, and vicious racism.

About Me

I graduated from the French University in Beirut (St Joseph) specialising in Political and Economic Sciences. I started my working life in 1973 as a reporter and journalist for the pan-Arab magazine “Al-Hawadess” in Lebanon later becoming its Washington, D.C. correspondent. I subsequently moved to London in 1979 joining “Al-Majallah” magazine as its Deputy Managing Editor. In 1984 joined “Assayad” magazine in London initially as its Managing Editor and later as Editor-in-Chief. Following this, in 1990 I joined “Al-Wasat” magazine (part of the Dar-Al-Hayat Group) in London as a Managing Editor. In 2011 I became the Editor-In-Chief of Miraat el-Khaleej (Gulf Mirror). In July 2012 I became the Chairman of The Board of Asswak Al-Arab Publishing Ltd in UK and the Editor In Chief of its first Publication "Asswak Al-Arab" Magazine (Arab Markets Magazine) (www.asswak-alarab.com).

I have already authored five books. The first “The Tears of the Horizon” is a love story. The second “The Winter of Discontent in The Gulf” (1991) focuses on the first Gulf war sparked by Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. His third book is entitled “Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: From Balfour Promise to Bush Declaration: The Complications and the Road to a Lasting Peace” (March 2008). The fourth book is titled “How Iran Plans to Fight America and Dominate the Middle East” (October 2008) And the fifth and the most recent is titled "JIHAD'S NEW HEARTLANDS: Why The West Has Failed To Contain Islamic Fundamentalism" (May 2011).

Furthermore, I wrote the memoirs of national security advisor to US President Ronald Reagan, Mr Robert McFarlane, serializing them in “Al-Wasat” magazine over 14 episodes in 1992.

Over the years, I have interviewed and met several world leaders such as American President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister Margaret Thacher, Late King Hassan II of Morocco, Late King Hussein of Jordan,Tunisian President Zein El-Abedine Bin Ali, Lybian Leader Moammar Al-Quadhafi,President Amine Gemayel of Lebanon,late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, Late Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat, Haitian President Jean Claude Duvalier, Late United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan,Algerian President Shazli Bin Jdid, Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Siyagha and more...